Deja Vu All Over Again....

Haven't we seen this before? Don't I remember a 13 point lead in Game 3, an 11 point lead in Game 5, and now a 14 point lead in Game 6? I admit, this is really hard to take. My team has never been to the Finals. Oh sure, I can remember 7 of the 8 Super Bowls my Cowboys have been in, but they are nothing like the sustained intensity of the NBA Finals. I have lost sleep, been on an emotional roller coaster, and had near heart attacks. This has been a pressure cooker for the fans. But watching your team repeatedly depart from the style of play that got them here, and that got them wins in Games 1 and 2, and depart from what got them big leads in 3 of the losses, was even worse--a true heartbreaker. It seems a few other household items may have gotten broken too.

"Hey, we had a good run"...

You hear this a lot: "we had a good run." Certainly, getting to the Finals has never been done by this team, so that was an achievement. But somewhere along the way to the title the Mavs seem to have lost sight of what got them past San Antonio, the defending champion. That is always a danger: having an emotional peak before you need it. Admit it, we all thought beating San Antonio entitled us to the trophy. Problem is, it didn't. There were still 3 other teams at that time who felt they were just as entitled. We allowed an inferior Phoenix team to make us play 2 extra games that never should have been necessary. And think about the Spurs series: we were up 3-1 and couldn't finish the deal, EVEN on our home court. In walked Miami and we immediately spanked them for two games. Everyone felt it, everyone was talking about it: the REAL championship happened two series ago. Then it happened: Game 3.

Up reared the Mavericks team that couldn't close out San Antonio, that couldn't close out Phoenix. Mavs fans nervously reassured each other that we would get it back together and win. Heck, it was so obvious that Dallas was superior to Miami in talent and depth, and we played in the WEST for crying out loud. One problem. The Heat get THREE home games in a row in the Finals, not just two. They patiently waited for us to fall into the slide they had seen us fall into in the previous two series, and like clockwork, we did. Mavs lost. And lost again. For the first time we had really seen our players in a prolonged struggle to shake loose of the nerves and fear of the moment. They couldn't.

Dallas is still the 'better team'...

Yes, it's true. Don't agree? Then ask yourself this: If you could conduct a draft right now to start a team and you had to select from Miami and Dallas, which team's players would be gone first? Dallas is deeper and more talented by a long shot. Here's the rub: that's not enough. There is a reason that Pat Riley and Greg Popovich have filled their teams with old veterans who can't play like they used to: their heads. They know that if they can just make it to the Finals, what these guys have in their heads will make up for what they lack in their legs. And it worked.

Did you ever dream you would see a time when Dallas was so scared to attack the basket? Did you ever dream you would see a time when Dirk could not make space for himself to shoot? Did you ever dream you would see SO MANY POSSESSIONS where, because of sloppy play and turnovers, Dallas didn't even get a shot off? Was it even fathomable that Miami could win 4 straight games against Dallas? No. But all of it happened. Miami 4, Dallas 2.

AS for the NBA and the Media....

It seems they got what they wanted. Let's be honest, this was a Shaq/Wade lovefest from the start. There were times when it was less obvious, but last night's pregame was all but a crowning of Miami, as we were treated to Miami interest stories all through the discussion. Oh sure, they talked about Dallas--the Nowitzki fine, the Cuban fine. But the overwhelming pregame hype was all Miami. If you doubted it for a second, surely it was clear to you every time Miami made a tough shot or a drive to the basket and Mike Breen about came out of his seat on the call. If not, then Breen left no doubt at the half when, as the players left the court for the locker room, he gleefully announced "Miami Heat, one half away from their first championship." Hmmmm.....How did he know that? Had the officials made it THAT clear to him that Miami was destined to win?

Mavs were robbed...

Yes, let's also be honest about the officiating: The "star system" is alive and well in the NBA. It just doesn't include any Mavericks in that system, not even Dirk. It leads with Dwayne Wade, followed closely by Tim Duncan and apparently Shaq. Don't believe me? Then try this: http://www.ericfolkerth.com/ and go to his blog.

But, it shouldn't have mattered. We knew we wouldn't get a fair shake, and that David Stern did NOT want to give us the trophy, so we should have played through it. We didn't. We had every opportunity to win, particularly in Game 3 when we had a chance to put the series away. We will be talking about Game 3 for many years. Lost opportunities.

Let's just hope, pray, and support the Mavs with the hope that we can exorcise these demons soon.